Old Grand-Dad 114 Bourbon

Owned and distilled by the Jim Beam company, Old Grand-Dad is named after famed distiller Basil Hayden. The whisky is produced at a few different proofs, including a 100-proof Bottled in Bond variant and a 40% ABV bottom-shelfer. Having enjoyed the 40% ABV version despite its anemic wateriness, I thought I might enjoy the full-strength version. Old Grand-Dad 114 is named, appropriately, for its 114 proof (57% ABV). This is not quite cask-strength, as they must water the whiskey down to hit a consistent 57% ABV, but it’s close.

Old Grand-Dad bourbons are purportedly from a “high rye” mash bill, despite a total lack of definitive information on the subject.

Oddly, I found that Old Grand-Dad (both 40% and 57%) to be distinctly different from their namesake bourbon (created by Jim Beam in 1992 to honor the legendary distiller), Basil Hayden, which is… I’m sorry… bad.

With Water: Several drops of water (yes, please!) have little obvious effect on the aroma. The palate, however, is far easier to handle and contains sweeter notes of toffee and vanilla. If you’re tasting this I suggest smelling it, adding a very little water, tasting it, and then adjusting with more water to your preference.

Overall: This is very basic, corn-forward, Jim Beam-esque, full-strength whiskey. This is the kind of thing you use when you want a cocktail or recipe to taste like “bourbon” but without caring much about the nuance. The kind of thing you order so that you can shoot it and feel like a frontiersman at a dingy saloon in Deadwood. The kind of thing you use in a cocktail when it’s been “that kind of day” and the only thing you care about in your Old Fashioned is the alcohol percentage. (For what it’s worth, it makes a perfectly passable Old Fashioned, with a robust bourbon flavor and appropriate strength.) At $26 it’s good for all of those things, and those things only.

6 thoughts on “Old Grand-Dad 114 Bourbon”

I agree, for the most part, with your assessment. This is a brash (albeit full flavored) whiskey that’s really only served for drinking neat when you wanna feel like you’re in an old west saloon or want to miraculously grow more hair on your chest. As I got into the bottle I found it was definitely best suited for cocktails, and by the end of the bottle I was immensely enjoying it in my Manhattans, with some tart cherry bitters along with the usual angostura.
Cheers!

after researching a few brands I ended up getting the woodford reserve barrel aged ones from Amazon. Like 12 bucks I think. They work well for me! I hate messing around with garnishes, so its a good way to get the cherry in my manhattan without, you know, putting an actual cherry in it

Good review, Scotch Noob. I concur, it does make a great mixer. The bourbon enthusiasts community are nashing their teeth regarding Beam-Suntory decision to stop production on this expression last fall. The purge has already begun her in the Bluegrass state…you can’t find any on the shelves since mid-December. Cheers.

Not sure if you heard the news, but Beam-Suntory has back peddled on its decision to discontinue the OGD 114 expression according to bourbon industry authority Chuck Cowdery. Between this PR fiasco and the Booker’s blunder you to have to wonder what the hell is going on with the ad wizards that Beam-Suntory employs. I am sure that the bourbon enthusiasts are celebrating. Cheers.

Disagree with this review. Yes, it is hot, but there’s a lot more going on – especially at the price point. This IS Basil Hayden, but stronger and younger. If you’ve always wondered what a stronger BH would be like, mix BH and this 50/50.